The Russian invasion forces bombed a Kupiansk church, just 30 minutes after the service was over. The pastor was killed on the spot while his spouse miraculously survived the strike.
An NV correspondent Serhiy Okunev happened to be close to the church at the time of the Russian strike.
Pastor Yuriy Klimko, 58, was killed instantly. One of the locals said he saw the cleric just 30 minutes before his tragic death.
On February 28, the church hosted a regular service. Parishioners left minutes before the bomb was dropped.
The church was more than just a religious building as it also served as a humanitarian aid hub. The pastor had been away during the occupation, but since he returned, he had been coordinating humanitarian aid and offering free meals at the church.
“Right here, just meters away, we have a bus stop. Luckily no one was there. It appears those bastards are hitting the spots that are normally crowded,” says Liudmyla, a local shopkeeper.
It was the wife who found the pastor’s body under the rubble.
